    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book III)]
    [November 17, 2004]
    [Pages 2976-2978]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at the Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation Ceremony
    November 17, 2004

        Thank you all. Please be seated. Welcome. Welcome to a beautiful day
    here in the Rose Garden. I'm pleased to welcome Biscuits--[laughter]--
    the National Thanksgiving Turkey. Biscuits, welcome. [Laughter]
        This is an election year, and Biscuits had to earn his spot at the
    White House. Over the past week, thousands of voters cast ballots on the
    White House web site. It was a close race. You might say it was neck and
    neck. [Laughter] When all the voters were in--all the votes were in,
    Biscuits and his runningmate, Gravy, prevailed over the ticket of
    Patience and Fortitude. [Laughter] The Vice President and I are here to congratulate Biscuits for a race well
    run.
        It came down to a few battleground States. [Laughter] It was a tough
    contest, and it turned out some 527 organizations got involved--
    [laughter]--including Barnyard Animals for Truth. [Laughter] There

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    was a scurrilous film that came out, ``Fahrenheit 375 Degrees at 10
    Minutes Per Pound.'' [Laughter] Now it's a time for healing.
        This day took a lot of planning, and I want to thank all those who
    helped. I appreciate Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman. She has served our Nation with class and distinction. I'm
    going to miss having her in my Cabinet, and I wish her all the best.
        Congressman, I'm honored you are here. Thanks for coming. I know
    that you're deeply concerned about the fate of this year's Thanksgiving
    turkey. You're a man of deep compassion.
        I want to thank everyone here with the National Turkey Federation,
    especially John O'Carroll and Alice
    Johnson. Welcome.
        I want to thank Kevin Foltz and his family
    for the fine job they did in raising Biscuits and Gravy on their farm in
    Mathias, West Virginia. They fed the turkeys American corn and American
    soybeans. And from the looks of it, he had a pretty healthy appetite.
    [Laughter] I'm also grateful to Kevin's children, Kolby, Kollin, and Korey, who helped to coach the turkeys to face the cameras on
    their big day here.
        We've also got some special guests from the Immaculate Conception
    School. I'm glad you took this field trip to the White House. I'm
    grateful to your school and the parish for sharing some of your
    blessings during the holidays. This is the 40th year Immaculate
    Conception has provided food baskets to families in the Shaw
    neighborhood to make sure they have plenty to eat for their Thanksgiving
    dinner. For the sake of our feathered guests, I'm not going to elaborate
    on the contents of those baskets. [Laughter]
        The Thanksgiving tradition dates back to our Nation's earliest days.
    We are a nation founded by men and women who deeply felt their
    dependence on God and always gave Him thanks and praise. As we prepare
    for Thanksgiving in 2004, we have much to be thankful for, our families,
    our friends, our beautiful country, and the freedom granted to each one
    of us by the Almighty.
        During this holiday season, we think especially of our men and women
    of the Armed Forces, many of whom are spending Thanksgiving far from
    home. Last Thanksgiving, I had the privilege of meeting with our
    military serving in Baghdad area of Iraq. Those men and women, like all
    who wear our Nation's uniform, have volunteered to serve. Through their
    courage and skill and sacrifice, they are keeping our country safe and
    free. America is proud of our military. We're proud of our military
    families, and we give them our thanks every day of the year.
        The National Thanksgiving Turkey will soon be on stage for all to
    see, but he's not going to end up on the table. I'm granting him a
    Presidential pardon. Not only will I grant the pardon to Biscuits; I
    will also grant one to Gravy as well. I wish them well as they begin
    their new life at Frying Pan Park in the great State of Virginia.
        Laura and I and the Vice President wish every American a happy Thanksgiving. May God bless
    you all, and may God continue to bless our country.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:15 a.m. in the Rose Garden at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to John O'Carroll, chairman, and
    Alice L. Johnson, president, National Turkey Federation. The
    Thanksgiving Day proclamation of November 23 is listed in Appendix D at
    the end of this volume.

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